Amnesty International’s latest report on Russia paints a grim picture, including “a coordinated campaign of abduction, torture and killings” against LGBTI people in Chechnya, “harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and independent NGOs”, persecution of religious minorities, violations of the right to a fair trial, and “restrictions to the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly”.

Amnesty accuses the Russian government of a “stranglehold on press freedom”, suggesting that over the past year “most of the media remained under effective state control and were used by the authorities to smear human rights defenders, political opponents and other dissenting voices”.

Amid growing concern about Russian state activities in the UK and across the world, we want to ensure that Stop Funding Hate does nothing to help normalise – even in a small way – media outlets working on behalf of a government that suppresses dissent at home while spreading misinformation overseas.